New Ulm weekly review., 1887-09-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., Sept. %, ]

AS intimated in former letter, there
is no secret here of the absolute divorce
of the Administration from the uncon-
genial alliance with the Mugwumps.
The democracy never meant the union to
be an honorable and lasting one, and the
only matter of astonishment is that they
have sojourned together so long as they
have. The decree of separation has
been, issued, and Cleveland leaves the
! old lady and the offspring to search
and wander for themselves, while he
| rushes over, with all the household ef-
fects, to the out-stretched arms of pure
unadulterated, partisan democracy. It
is the old story of promise, infamy and
desertien. And perhaps this treatment
is really merited. Certainly it is in
perfect harmony with the history of the
democratic party for the last forty years
and more. They are good to promise,
but bad to redeem. The older readers
of this letter will we'll remember the
democratic campaign of Polk, Dallas,
and the Tariff of "42'. That was the
battle cry then, for Pennsylvania was
necessary to success, and hence they
put Dallas on the ticket, q Pennsylvan-
ian, and locked arms with protection,
and won the campaign. What was the
result? Why, the very first session of
Congress under the administration of
Polk repealed the tariff of '42, and'that
by the casting vote of Dallas himself.
There is no use in multiplying instan-
ces since that time to show the dupli-
city and peridy of the democratic par.
ty. Its history IS blurred from begin
ming to end with just such hypocrisy.
It is no better or worse now than forty
or twenty years ago, and there is no
hope of it being any better in the future
than in the past. Professions count for
nothing among thoughtful men. when
made by a party with such history.
But the difficulty heretofore has been
that the thinking comes too late: That
S great misfortune'o of the Mugwumps.
They left the Republican party in a fe-
yer of heat because they did not like
the Chicago nominees, and that was all,
and tramped through the filth of cam
paign over to the democratic camp
and received promises of food and shell
ter in consideration of their votes that
actually elected Cleveland. Now, after
two and a half years Of quarrel and con-
tention, they are unceremoniously point
ed down the back stairs of the Execut-
i've Mansion. It don't seem possible
that there are other discontents that
want to try their hand with democracy,
after all the teachings of the past.
A new idea has just forced itself to
the front which is making quite COM
motion among the Department Clerks.
| The Civil Service Commission, desirous
of turning the rascals out'', have
racked their brains for every conceivable
pretense, and at last have hit upon an
additional device. 1t has the semblance
of fairness and rather in accord with
the spirit of the Civil Service law, if
construed as revolutionary in it's action.
They have discovered the momentous
fact that several OF the Northern and
Western States have more than their
quota of appointments, while several of
the Southern States have less, and that
several are credited to States who real
ly have no legal residence therein. The
whole thing is to be investigated, and
the surplus cut off, and particularly
those who are wrongly credited. This
of course means Republicans and is re-
garded as an excellent subterfuge to
make place for administration adhe-
rents. 1t looks like pretty small busi-
ness, but the pressure is so fearful and
the clamor so persistent, and the needs
of the confederates so pressing, that
there is scarcely any way Of escape, SO
the door will be opened, and experience
and skill will walk out while incompe.
tency and swagger will stroll in, and all
under the guise of Improving the
public SERVICE y
/ The State. Department is consider.
ably incensed at the recent speech u
the Queen in closing the British Parlia
ment, wherein she claims, among other
things, that the joint commission tc
settle the fish question between the
Government ant England, is another
distinct and positive triumph of British
diplomacy. AS to the truth OF thi:
claim, the people of this country ale il
blissful ignorance up to date, for tht
State Department has resolutely alb